Electric fuel pump



y 1963 c. w. JEEP, JR., ETAL 3,090,31

ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP Filed June 15, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet l 9 97 INVENTORS F G 2 CHARLES WJEEP JR. EDGAR w. NIEMEYER B JOHN B. FITZGERALD Y WW Q/ AGE y 21, 1963 c. w. JEEP, JR.. ETAL 3,090,318

ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP Filed June 13, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS CHARLES W. JEEP JR. EDGAR W. NIEMEYER JOHN B. FITZGERALD AGENT y 21, 1963 c. w. JEEP, JR.. ETAL 3,090,318

ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 15, 1960 FIG.7.

INVENTORS CHARLES W. JEEP JR. EDGAR W.NIEMEYER JOHN B. FITZGERALD AGENT United States Patent "ice 3,090,318 ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP Charles W. Jeep, Jr., Webster Groves, Edgar W. Niemeyer, Normandy, and John B. Fitzgerald, St. Louis, Mo., assiguors to ACF Industries, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed June 13, 1960, Ser. No. 35,583 Claims. (Cl. 103-87) This invention relates to electric fuel pumps, and more particularly to a pump of this class for automotive use.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of an improved electrical fuel pump of the type which is mounted in the fuel tank of an automotive vehicle submerged in fuel in the tank; the provision of an electrical fuel pump of this class which is economical to manufacture, its construction being such that the major structural components thereof may be stamped from sheet metal, and such that all the components may be quickly and easily assemblied; the provision of a pump such as described wherein the pump impeller is so formed that it is substantially hydraulically balanced so as to minimize its tendency to move axially under hydraulic influences; the provision of a pump such as described wherein the construction is such that the assembly of the impeller and the shaft of the electric motor for driving the impeller is mangetically biased toward a single end thrust bearing, thereby simplifying the bearing arrangement; the provision of a pump such as described wherein part of the output of the pump is utilized for bearing lubrication and motor cooling purposes; and the provision of a pump such as described having an improved strong compact suspension for resiliently suspending the housing from a cover for an access opening in the top of the fuel tank. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation illustrating a pump of this invention mounted in the fuel tank of an automotive vehicle for pumping fuel from the tank to the carburetor for the engine of the vehicle;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragment of FIG. 1 showing the pump in the tank, the tank and a cover for an access opening in the top of the tank being shown in section;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section of the pump per se;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged horizontal sections taken on lines 4-4 and 5-5, respectively, of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section showing a mode of providing a liquid-tight seal around a lead wire for the motor where it extends through the motor housing;

FIG. 7 is a horizontal section taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 2; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are horizontal sections taken on lines 8--8 and 9--9, respectively, of FIG. 3.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawlugs.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is indicated at 1 an automotive vehicle. The engine of the vehicle is indicated at 3, and the carburetor for the engine is indicated at 5. The usual air filter on the air horn of the carburetor is indicated at 7. The fuel tank of the vehicle is indicated at 9. Suspended in the fuel tank is an electric fuel pump 11 of this invention adapted to pump fuel from the tank to the carburetor through a fuel line 13.

3,090,318 Patented May 21, 1963 As shown in detail in FIGS. 2-9, the electric fuel pump 11 of this invention comprises a vertically arranged electric motor 15 with a pump casing 17 at the lower end thereof in which is rotatable a centrifugal pump impeller .19. The latter is fixed directly on the lower end of the motor shaft 21. Fixed on shaft 21 is the armature core 23 of the motor. As shown, this is a laminated core. The armature windings are indicated at 25. The armature constituted by core 23 and windings 2.5 rotates within field poles 27 which are part of an annular field core or stator 29. As shown, this is a laminated stator. The field coils on poles 27 are indicated at 31.

The stator 29 is contained in a housing 33 constituted by a deep-drawn sheet metal cup. Pump 11 is mounted in the fuel tank 9 with the cup 33 in inverted position so that the end wall 35 of the cup is uppermost. Cup 33 has an upper cylindrical wall portion 37 and a lower cylindrical wall portion 39 of somewhat larger diameter than portion 37. This provides a downwardly facing annular shoulder 41 at the inner (upper) end of portion 39. Shoulder ll has upwardly offset portions 42 at diametrically opposite sides of cup 33. The stator 29 is fixed in the upper cylindrical portion 37 of cup 33, having a press fit therein. Its position in the cup is determined by engagement of the upper end of the stator with lugs L struck in from cylindrical portion 37 of the cup 33 at intervals around portion 37. Stator 29 has longitudinal peripheral grooves 43 receiving ribs 44 struck in from wall 37 to lock the stator against rotation.

The top wall 35 of housing 33 is formed with an upwardly extending central boss 45. A bearing 47 for the upper end of the motor shaft 21 is held in this boss by a retainer 49. Shaft 21 is vertically slidable in bearing 47. The boss 45 has a vent hole 51 at the top, and the hearing has grooves such as indicated at 53 in FIG. 5 extending lengthwise thereof in its outer periphery to provide passages between the retainer and the outer periphery of the bearing for restricted flow of fuel up and out through the vent hole.

The shaft 21 has a commutator 55 thereon below the armature 23, 2.5. The commutator extends down through a central opening in a brush holder or mounting plate 57 made of electrical insulation material. This plate has a shape such as shown in FIG. 8 with end edges 59 curved to fit within cylindrical portion 39 of the cup 33. The ends of plate 57 engage in the upwardly offset portions 42 of shoulder 41, and plate 57 is held in place at the upper end of cylindrical portion 39 of the cup 33 by an upwardly extending cylindrical rim portion 63 of a circular sheet metal partition 61, which fits into the cylindrical portion 39 of cup 33. The rim portion 63 engages plate 57 to hold it in place. Partition of is held at the upper end of cylindrical portion 39 of cup 33 by tangs 65 struck in from cylindrical portion 39 of cup 33 at intervals around portion 39. Each tang has an inclined upper edge 67 which slopes downward from its juncture with portion 39 adapted to wedge partition 61 upward as the tang is bent inward. This holds rim portion 63 of partition 61 up tightly against plate 57. Striking in the tangs provides inlets 69 in portion 39 of cup 33 for admission of fuel from fuel tank 9 to chamber 7t} in portion 39 below partition (:1.

Partition 61 is formed with a downwardly extending central boss '71. A hearing '73 for shaft 21 is held in this boss by a retainer 75. Shaft 21 is vertically slidable in bearing '73. Bearing 73 has grooves such as indicated at 77 (and corresponding to grooves 53 in bearing 47) extending lengthwise thereof in its outer periphery to provide passages between retainer and the outer periphery of the bearing for restricted flow of fuel. Boss 71 has a tubular lower end portion 79 loosely receiving the shaft 21 so that fuel may flow down through the lower end of the boss around the shaft. The brush mounting plate 57 carries springbiased brushes 51 on its bottom contacting commutator 55. A layer of electrical insulation 83 is provided on the upper of ition 61. This layer 83 has a central hole 55 accommodating the shaft and of larger diameter than the shaft for flow of fuel down to the grooves 77 in bearing 73 and thence out through the lower end portion 79 of boss 71.

The housing or cup 33 has an outwardly extending horizontal flange 87 at its lower end. As appears in FIGS. 7 and 9, this flange is of pear shape in outline. It has a hole 39 adjacent its apex. The pump casing 17 comprises a bottom plate formed with a volute 91 (FIGS. 3 and 4) and a cover plate 93 for the volute. Plate 93 is a flat sheet metal plate of pear shape in outline corresponding to the outline of flange 37. A nipple 95 which constitutes the main pump outlet connection has its lower end fixed in a hole in plate 93 and extends upward through hole 89 in flange 8'7. Volute 91 is positioned below plate 93. The bottom plate with volute 91 consists of a sheet metal stamping formed to provide a cup-shaped portion 97 for receiving the pump impeller 19 and has an outwardly extending horizontal flange 99 at the rim of portion 97. This volute plate flange 99 is of pear shape in outline, the same as plate 93 and flange 37, and has an upwardly extending peripheral rim .101 surrounding plate 91 and flange 87, the upper portion of the rim 101 being bent over on flange 37 as indicated at 133 to hold the parts in assembly with a substantially fuel-tight seal on flange $7. The pear-shaped horizontal flange 99 of the volute 91 is formed with a depressed channel 135 extending tangentially from the cup 97 toward the apex of flange 99, the outer end of this channel (which constitutes a pump outlet passage) being in communication with nipple 95. The cup-shaped portion 97 of the volute has an upwardly extending central fiattopped boss 1'97 constituting a fixed thrust bearing. Around this are arcuate slots such as indicated at 1 9 constituting pump inlet ports. A screen 111 is mounted in a ring-shaped frame 113, which is spotwelded to the bottom of the cup-shaped portion 97 of the volute. Screen 111 is used for filtering fuel as it enters the volute through slots 169 from the tank 9. Screen 111 is retained by means of an expansion ring 112. It is thus, removable for the purpose of cleaning at regular intervals.

The impeller 19 (which may be molded of plastic or any other suitable material) comprises a flat disk 115 at the lower end of a hub 117 fixed on the lower end of the motor shaft 21. The disk has vanes 119 on both top and bottom, the top and bottom vanes being of equal height. The impeller is accordingly hydraulically balanced and has little tendency to move either up or down under hydraulic influences. The disk 115 also has a downwardly projecting central boss 121 which engages the flat top of thrust bearing 1137 on the bottom of the impeller cup 97. As indicated in FIG. 3, the armature core 23 extends upward to some extent above the upper end of the field core or stator '29. When the stator and armature are energized, the resultant magnetic field tends to draw the armature core 23 downward into the stator (i.e., it tends to center the armature core in the stator) with the result that the assembly of the impeller and the motor shaft are restrained from bouncing upward. Accordingly, no thrust bearing (such as a top thrust bearing) is required to prevent upward movement of the motor shaft 21.

The hub 117 of the impeller 19 extends upward through a hole 123 in plate 93 into the chamber 70. A screen 125 is provided in chamber 75 surrounding hole 123 for filtering fuel which enters chamber 79 through openings 69 before it flows through hole 123 to the impeller cup 97. A tube 127 extends upward through chamber 76 from a hole in plate 93 to a hole in partition 61. This tube may have a restricted lower end. When the pump is in operation fuel is pumped at a relatively low rate upward through the tube and into the upper part of housing 33 above partition 61.

The housing 33 is resiliently suspended from a sheet metal cover 129 for an access hole 131 in the top of the fuel tank 9. This access hole cover 1 29 has a flat rim 133 which bears on the top of the tank around the access hole and which is secured to the top of the tank as by screws 135. It also has a raised portion 137 and an inclined wall portion 139. Extending down from the raised portion 137 of the cover are hangers 141 (of which there are three, for example). Each of these is a sheet metal member of inverted L-shape having a flat upper horizontal portion 143 which is secured as by spot welding to the raised portion 137 of the cover and a downwardly extending flat leg 145. The hangers are arranged around the vertical axis of cup 33 with their flat legs 145 in vertical planes generally at right angles to radial planes through this axis. The leg of each hanger has a notch .147 at its lower end and is formed with eyes 149 on opposite sides of the notch. Secured to housing '33 at its upper end as by spot welding are sheet metal lugs 151. These lugs extend up above housing 33 and each has a single eye 153 formed at its upper end. The eye 153 at the upper end of each lug 151 fits in the notch 147 of a respective hanger 141, aligned with the eyes 149 on opposite sides of the notch, and a pin 155 made of fuelresistant rubber or other suitable elastomer is inserted in the eyes 149 of each hanger and the eye 153 on the respective lugs for hanging the housing 33 from the cover.

The motor 15 is connected in the electrical system of the vehicle by a lead wire 157 (see FIGS. 2 and 6) extending through a hole 159 in the top of cup 33 to a connection with field coil 31 and by a ground conductor 161 (see FIGS. 2 and 7) connected between a terminal 163 on top of the housing 33 and one of the hangers 141. Lead wire 157 extends through packing 165 in a retainer 167 to seal the hole 159. Retainer 167 is a cup-shaped sheet metal member having a tubular stern 169 extending from the bottom thereof riveted in hole 159. Packing 1 65 is a fuel-resistant rubber washer, for example. On top of packing 1165 is a metal washer 171. The lead wire extends through the stem, the packing and the washer, and the rim of retainer 167 is bent over on the washer as indicated at 173 to compres the packing and seal the hole. A short length of fuel hose 175 (see FIG. 2) extends up from nipple 95 to a connection with an elbow 177 fixed in inclined wall 139 of cover 129, and fuel line 13 is connected to the outer end of the elbow.

From the above, it will be observed that the major structural components of the pump, including motor housing 33, volute 91, volute cover plate 93, partition 61 are sheet metal stampings. The assembly .of parts is simplified, involving insertion of those parts to be contained in housing 33 into the housing, followed by application of plate 93 to the housing flange 87, application of volute 91, and bending over rim portion 103 of the volute. With vanes 119, preferably of equal height, on both sides of impeller disk 115, the impeller is hydraulically balanced and has little tendency to move up off thrust bearing 107 under hydraulic influences. Additionally, the downward magnetic bias on the assembly of the armature 2-3, shaft 21 and impeller 19, by reason of the projection of the armature core above the upper end of the field core, keeps the assembly down despite tendencies to bounce up due to road shock, and there is no necessity for providing a thrust bearing to stop upward bounce. When the pump is in operation, the impeller 19 delivers fuel through outlet channel 105, and a small amount of fuel is also delivered through tube 127 to the space in housing 33 above partition 61. This space is maintained charged with fuel under some pressure, and some fuel escapes via grooves 53 and vent hole 51, and via grooves 77 so that a circulation of fuel is effected for motor-cooling purposes, as well as hearing lubrication purposes. The suspension of housing 33 by means of hangers 141 and lugs 151 is a strong, compact suspension, hanger eyes 149 providing two points of support for each pin 155 and, with three hangers, six points of support in all.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. An electric fuel pump adapted for use in a fuel tank, said pump comprising a tubular sheet metal motor housing having an end wall at one end and being adapted to be vertically positioned in a tank with said end wall up, said housing being formed to provide a downwardly facing shoulder intermediate its upper and lower ends, an electric motor contained in said housing comprising a field core secured in said housing above said shoulder, a shaft extending vertically in said housing and having an armature core thereon rotatable within said field core, a brush holder plate in said housing engaging said shoulder, a partition extending across said housing below said housing shoulder and having an upwardly extending rim portion engaging and holding said brush holder against said shoulder, said shaft extending through said brush holder and said partition and having a commutator thereon, brushes on said holder engaging said commuta tor, a pump casing at the lower end of said housing, an impeller in said pump casing operatively connected to said shaft, and tangs struck inwardly from the tubular wall of said housing below and adjacent to said partition, said tangs having inclined upper edges contacting and wedging said partition upwardly whereby said partition rim portion is forced against said brush holder plate.

2. An electric fuel pump adapted for use in a fuel tank comprising a cylindrical sheet metal motor housing having an end wall at one end and being adapted to be vertically positioned in a tank with said end wall up, said housing being formed to provide a downwardly facing shoulder intermediate its upper and lower ends, an electric motor contained in said housing comprising a field core secured in said housing above said shoulder, a shaft extending vertically in said housing and having an armature core thereon rotatable within said field core, a brush holder in the housing engaging said shoulder, a partition in said housing below said housing shoulder and having an upwardly extending rim portion engaging and holding said brush holder against said shoulder, said shaft extending through said brush holder and said partition and having a commutator thereon, brushes on said holder engaging said commutator, a pump casing at the lower end of said housing comprising a sheet metal volute and a volute cover plate between said volute and said housing, an impeller in said pump casing operatively connected to said shaft, said volute having a cup-shaped portion for receiving said impeller and an outwardly extending flange at the rim of said cup-shaped portion, said flange of said volute being formed with an outlet channel extending outwardly from said cup-shaped portion, said volute cover plate engaging the lower end of said housing, said volute flange engaging said cover plate and being secured to said housing to hold said volute and said cover plate in assembly with said housing.

3. An electric fuel pump as set forth in claim 2 wherein said housing has a chamber therein between said partition and said cover plate, and wherein said impeller comprises a disk having vanes on both faces thereof, said housing having inlets for entry of fuel to said chamber and said cover plate having an opening providing for flow of fuel from said chamber to said cup-shaped portion of said volute on one side of said disk, and said cupshaped portion of said volute having a port for flow of fuel thereinto on the other side of said disk.

4. An electric fuel pump as set forth in claim 2 wherein said partition is held in said housing by tangs struck in from the cylindrical wall of said housing below said shoulder, the openings provided as a result of striking in said tangs constituting said inlets.

5. An electric fuel pump as set forth in claim 4 wherein said tangs have inclined upper edges for wedging said partition upward.

6. An electric fuel pump as set forth in claim 3 further comprising a tube extending upward through said chamber from said plate to said partition for flow of fuel from the pump casing to the space in the housing above said partition, the housing having a vent at the top for said uel.

7. An electric fuel pump as set forth in claim 2 wherein said volute includes a bearing surface in contact with said impeller on the axis of said shaft and said armature core extends upward above the field core magnetically to bias the shaft-impeller assembly downward during operation of said electric motor.

8. An electric fuel pump adapted for use in a fuel tank, said fuel pump comprising a sheet metal motor housing, a pump casing at one end of said housing, an impeller in said pump casing, an electric motor means in said housing drivingly connected to said impeller, said casing comprising a bottom plate and a cover plate, said bottom plate closing said one end of said housing and formed with a cup-shaped volute portion receiving said impeller and an outwardly extending flange at the rim of said cup-shaped portion, said cover plate positioned between said one housing end and said bottom plate, said bottom plate flange engaging said cover plate and being secured to said housing to hold said cover plate in assembly with said housing.

9. An electric fuel pump adapted for use in a fuel tank, said pump comprising a sheet metal motor housing, a pump casing at one end of said housing, an impeller in said pump casing, and electric motor means in said housing drivingly connected to said impeller, said casing including a bottom plate and a cover plate, means fixed to said cover plate and forming a pump outlet, said bottom plate closing said one end of said housing and formed with a cup-shaped volute portion receiving said impeller and an outwardly extending flange at the rim of said cup shaped portion, said bottom plate flange being formed with an outlet channel extending tangentially outwardly from said cup-shaped volute portion to said pump outlet means, said cover plate positioned between said one housing end and said bottom plate, said bottom plate flange engaging said cover plate and being secured to said housing to hold said cover plate in assembly with said housing.

10. An electric fuel pump adapted for use in a fuel tank, said pump comprising a tubular sheet metal motor housing, a pump casing at one end of said housing, an impeller in said pump casing, and electric motor means in said housing drivingly connected to said impeller, said casing including a bottom plate and an apertured cover plate, said bottom plate closing said one end of said housing and formed with a cup-shaped volute chamber receiving said impeller and an outwardly extending flange at the rim of said cup-shaped portion, said bottom plate flange being formed with an outlet channel extending tangentially outwardly from said cup-shaped volute portion, said cover plate engaging said one housing end and separating said volute chamber from said housing, said bottom plate flange engaging said cover plate and being secured to said housing to hold said cover plate in assembly with said housing, means forming a partition across said housing and providing a fuel inlet chamber with said cover plate, the wall of said motor housing being pierced in the region of said inlet chamber to provide inlet apertures therethrough.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wortendyke Dec. 23, 1952 8 Korte ,et a1 Aug. 20, 1957 Selbach et al. Aug. 12, 1958 Lung Jan. 6, 1959 Hudson May 5, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Feb. 5, 1958 

1. AN ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP ADAPTED FOR USE IN A FUEL TANK, SAID PUMP COMPRISING A TUBULAR SHEET METAL MOTOR HOUSING HAVING AN END WALL AT ONE END AND BEING ADAPTED TO BE VERTICALLY POSITIONED IN A TANK WITH SAID END WALL UP, SAID HOUSING BEING FORMED TO PROVIDE A DOWNWARDLY FACING SHOULDER INTERMEDIATE ITS UPPER AND LOWER ENDS, AND ELECTRIC MOTOR CONTAINED IN SAID HOUSING COMPRISING A FIELD CORE SECURED IN SAID HOUSING ABOVE SAID SHOULDER, A SHAFT EXTENDING VERTICALLY IN SAID HOUSING AND HAVING AN ARMATURE CORE THEREON ROTATABLE WITHIN SAID FIELD CORE, A BRUSH HOLDER PLATE IN SAID HOUSING ENGAGING SAID SHOULDER, A PARTITION EXTENDING ACROSS SAID HOUSING BELOW SAID HOUSING SHOULDER AND HAVING AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING RIM PORTION ENGAGING AND HOLDING SAID BRUSH HOLDER AGAINST SAID SHOULDER, SAID SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BRUSH HOLDER AND SAID PARTITION AND HAVING A COMMUTATOR THEREON, BRUSHES ON SAID HOLDER ENGAGING SAID COMMUTATOR, A PUMP CASING AT THE LOWER END OF SAID HOUSING, AN IMPELLER IN SAID PUMP CASING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT, AND TANGS STRUCK INWARDLY FROM THE TUBULAR WALL OF SAID HOUSING BELOW AND ADJACENT TO SAID PARTITION, SAID TANGS HAVING INCLINED UPPER EDGES CONTACTING AND WEDGING SAID PARTITION UPWARDLY WHEREBY SAID PARTITION RIM PORTION IS FORCED AGAINST SAID BRUSH HOLDER PLATE. 